


After the Storm There is Light

by blueAmaranth



Series: Game Over, New World [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Couch Cuddles, F/M, Fluff, M/M, PTSD, Post-Game, karezi fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-02
Updated: 2014-12-02
Packaged: 2018-02-27 19:56:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2704631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueAmaranth/pseuds/blueAmaranth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terezi is one of the game survivors after her session was won and her friends were saved. She is also one of the many still having nightmares. Maybe some care and a romcom can help her through a particularly bad night?</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Storm There is Light

**Author's Note:**

> A starting point for the rest of the series basically, no babies or grubs in this one.

The thunder roared outside, the wind slamming against the window panes. Under the dark sky, the lights of the still new city sparkled dimly, the thick air of the tropical climate thick and heavy. Energy was still an odd thing to start at the moment what with their new planets and universe, leaving the air conditioning nonexistent on the worst kind of night for air condition to be absent.

A young woman, roughly ten sweeps/twenty years old fidgeted restlessly, her blankets and sheets strewn across the room, a pillow somehow hung up on the fan that spun lazily. 

Please no. nononono” She mumbled in her sleep. Even in her sleep, viscous teal tears began streaming down her face as she began to thrash. “FIX THIS” She cried out. The booming storm crashed and shook her house violently, sending her to jump and roll off the bed. The girl screamed when she hit the floor and sat up, only half out of the dream and panting. 

The door opened with urgency, a boy with wildly disheveled hair standing on all ends, his red eyes flashing.

Terezi!” The girl curled in on herself and cried silently on the floor, clutching her scalemate plushie and attempting to calm down. “Terezi say something are you hurt? Wha-"

“Karkat” She cracked silently. “I can’t- it was too much- you… I just. The nightmares, I can’t handle them anymore” Karkat sighed and sat on the floor in front of her.

“Terezi…” She was the one of the strongest people he’d ever met, and that was saying something. Seeing Terezi torn to shreds caused an uneasy twisting in his chest. 

I saw them die again. I died...And my sword it…Gamzee…I…” She broke again, shaking violently and clutching the spot where her scar was obvious and light teal-grey against her dark skin. Karkat took her in his arms, allowing Terezi to fold against him. He ran his hands through her hair and held the girl close, careful not to jab himself with her horns as he adjusted her against him. Terezi’s black nightgown covered both of their laps as she was pulled to sit on Karakt’s lap. He cradled her as if she were his child. 

“Shhhh, the game is over now, we’re okay. We have a fresh start. And were all alive, just like it was a bad dream”

“It wasn’t a dream” Karkat closed his eyes and hugged her close, Terezi wrapping her arms around him.

“No. But we have a new start now and everything will be alright. Come on, we’ll get through this together. Just like we always do.”  
Karkat tilted his head when he heard footsteps accompany the sound of the rain on the roof of their shared home.

“Terezi?!” Roxy burst in, her hair in curlers and her shirt and pajama pants crooked from sleep.

“Shhh” Karkat placed a finger over his lips. She nodded, and gestured to her friend and mouthed “Is she okay?” Karkat shook his head in reply.

“bad dream” He mouthed back. Roxy fixed her top, nodded again in understanding and left the room. He heard her steps trail onto the creaking wood floors of the kitchen before disappearing completely. Karkat helped Terezi to her feet and guided her to the bed. “Hey, try to get some more rest, you need it. You haven’t been sleeping lately. I know how you feel, well maybe not exactly, but I know its bad. I could um… sleep next to you if you like”

“Not here”

“What?”

“I said not here. I don’t want to sleep here” Karkat felt her move and look up at him. Recently she’d gotten used to her eyes again and accepted her former sensitivities would fade with time. Terezi just felt like she needed to restart from where she left off before the game’s shenanigans had taken so much of her away. 

The dark teal of her eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

“That’s fine. My room then?”

“Can we just watch a movie?” Though she was still shaking like a leaf and her voice was rough, Terezi seemed to have calmed down a little. The tear stains stuck on her face stubbornly, but at least they’d stopped falling.

“Yeah. We can do that. How does Roxanne sound?”

“I’m okay with it” Terezi let go of Karkat and hugged her yellow scalemate again, leaning her head on Karkat’s chest. She could feel his steady breaths and hear his heart beating rapidly, even against the fierce wind and downpour of the outside world. With his muscular (yet wiry) arms, he lifted her and carried his friend into the living area with hardly a problem. The game had given him the advantage of becoming stronger over the years they’d been trapped and he found how much he really liked being physically strong. 

As gentle as he could, Karkat placed Terezi on the poufy sofa. She leaned back and stared at the wall as he put the movie into the player. As the commercials began, Karkat sat down beside her, his gaze casted downward. Suddenly his vision was filled with fluffy pink slippers. Karkat’s red eyes met Roxy’s purple, in her hands were two steaming mugs of chamomile tea. 

“Here, it’s supposed to relax the mind. You both need it. I texted Kanaya, she told me that’s what it did. She’s had to help out with a couple of the other households. I guess the beforian kids are having some pretty bad times too, being dead for so long and all” Karkat took the mugs, handing one to Terezi.

“Is everyone else asleep?”

“Yeah, they’ve been sleeping pretty well. Either the events didn’t affect them in the same way or they’re making up for the last few years where they got barely any at all. That must be it if they could sleep through a storm like this and the occasional scream in the night”  
Terezi felt her eyes sting again and looked up at Roxy apologetically. 

“Hey, its not your fault don’t worry about it girl!” 

“Sorry” Roxy looked at Karkat worriedly.

“And stop apologizing for something you can’t help!”

“Okay” Roxy shook her head.

“Don’t act like Tavros now, this is a no weenie zone” Terezi smiled her usual crazy smile and giggled before sinking back down into the couch.

“I’ll leave you be then. Good night” With that, Roxy padded back to her room and gently closed the door. Terezi moved closer to Karkat, just enough to feel the warmth radiating off of him. The tea steamed designs into the night air, the lightning outside illuminating the swirls and tendrils they disappeared upon reaching a couple inches from the hot drinks. As much as they both despised heat at the moment, the tea and feeling the other’s brought on a much needed comfort.

Karkat picked her up so Terezi was comfortably in his lap again. They were surprisingly comfortable that way. Their cups of tea steamed and spiraled, mixing with one another.

Halfway through the movie they’d giggled at least once. A nice romcom was good for the aching heart. At a dull point, Karkat found his eyes trailing to the girl in his arms. She’d been looking up at him. He smiled down at her, running a hand through her hair as he did a little while ago.

“You okay Terezi?” She did not respond, instead, she tilted her head to the side and began to sit up, only a small amount. Karkat knew where this was going. His chest fluttered and his heart sped up significantly. There was no she would really-

With one hand he pushed some hair behind her ear and with the other he supported her.

Was he actually going to… 

Their lips touched softly as they leaned into eachother. Terezi wrapped her arms around him as their kiss deepened. She smiled faintly and pulled away. 

The two lay there on the couch, fingers intertwined as Terezi began to finally fall back asleep. By then, that movie had ended, another cheesy romcom playing on the TV. Before she finally dozed off, Terezi mumbled something in Karkat’s direction.

“What was that?”

“Can we be like them?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Hm?”

“Like those characters. I don’t know if the terms our race came up with are relevant anymore but… could we be matesprits? If you don’t think we could make it then that’s okay. It’s just a question” Karkat stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. As was rare and somewhat of an occasion, he was at a loss for words. At last the young man smiled and hugged the girl again, taking in her scent. Karkat kissed her forehead.

“Yeah, yeah we can do that” He practically whispered in her ear. She smiled and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Karkat turned the movie off with the remote on the side table and soon followed. It was one of many good nights full of love and mutual healing to come.

+++++

The rain carried on until morning, as did the thunder and heavy winds. When morning came, the sun shone brightly, casting a rainbow over the land. The air was fresh and clean, bringing a pleasant new day with it. 

Karkat woke up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Terezi was still sprawled on top of him, her arms wrapped around his waist and a scalemate under her arm. His movements seemed to have woken her. 

Terezi’s eyes fluttered open, their light teal hue foggy. Karkat felt the side of his mouth tug when he noticed the bags under eyes were obviously lesser. She smiled and rolled off of him, leaning over for a quick kiss which Karkat happily accepted. 

“Good morning lovebirds! How about some breakfast!” Karkat whipped around to find Dave, clad only in his boxers and a pair of shades emerging from the kitchen.

“Strider?”

“Sup Vantas? Hello Terezi. You two sleep okay?” The two on the sofa exchanged glances. 

“Yeah, I guess. And where the fuck are your clothes?! You could at least put on some pants!” 

“Fuck clothes, this is home now so I can be as comfortable as I want. So, bacon?” Karkat, tired of the crap the Striders always dished out, complied.

“Sure I’ll have some” He and Terezi stood and walked through the kitchen and into the large dining room. At the large oval table sat Roxy, Dirk, Jake, Meenah, John and Vriska. They cheered when Karkat and Terezi took the remaining seats.

Karkat felt his cheeks flush at their mock excitement. 

Dave set the next plate of bacon and some pancakes on the table, an array of fruits and scrambled eggs already occupying most of the space. Dave also placed two plates in front of Terezi and Karkat with silverware clanking on the top. He slid into the chair between Jake and Meenah and stabbed a piece of pineapple from the fruit dish.

Karkat thanked him and scooped some eggs on his and Terezi’s plates. Terezi reached over for some mugs in the middle of the table and the teapot accompanying it. Apparently the others had been up for a while, as the outside of the kettle was not as hot as one might expect. She poured whatever kind of tea was in it and set the sugar cubes closer to her side of the table. John, Roxy and Vriska chatted and giggled, Roxy shouldering Vriska at one point and erupting in a fit of laughter. Karkat glanced up at them in time to see the three watching him like a group middle school kids in a gossip circle. They avoided his gaze instantly, failing at hiding their grins and childish laughter. Karkat cleared his throat.

“So…Fruit?” 

“Yes, thank you Karkat” Terezi replied. She scooched over a little closer and laid her head against his shoulder, stirring some sugar in her tea. Jake took a bite of a particularly large piece of watermelon and spoke between chews. No one really caught what he said.

“Jake, talk after you’re done chewing! It’s gross and no can understand you” Vriska complained.

“Swrwry” He mumbled with his mouth closed.

“So what was it you were a-boat to say?” Meenah asked, half focused on the strange, squiggly brown grease meat. She plucked at it with her fork, it smelled good. She took three pieces and stuffed it in her face.

“I said, you two seem pretty cozy this morning. Anything you want to share with the class?”  
Terezi smiled down at her plate and held Karkat’s hand under the table. 

“Nothing any of you nook sniffers need to know” Karkat said, though the bite in his tone wasn't all there. Terezi choked back a laugh.

“We may or may not be dating now”

Meenah suddenly began choking on her mouthful. Roxy flinched next to her and stared as the fish girl waved her fork about wildly. 

“Fucking finally! And look at that! Shouty and Pyrope-number-two finally hooked up!” She got out, swallowing the bacon at last.

“Gadzooks Meenah! What did Vriska just tell me!?”

“Shut your trap jungle boy I at least swallowed before speaking!” 

“Touché. Anyway, well good for you!”

“Okay, we all saw this coming like, four sweeps ago. Maybe more.” Vriska said placidly, though the smirk on her face betrayed her tone. On the other side, Karkat could have sworn John slipped a couple bucks to Dirk as he turned over to give a quick kiss to Jake, (Jake seemed confused until he saw what his boyfriend was up to, Dirk doesn’t just randomly give kisses). He also watched out of the corner of his eye as Meenah (not so discreetly) took something out of Roxy’s hand. Karkat normally would have been pissed that they were taking bets on them, but his mind was currently taken by the one thing he’d wanted (aside from being the thresecutioner) since he was a child. Besides, he and Terezi would get back at them eventually. Especially now that she seemed to be getting back to normal.


End file.
